Now, a new research report from a surprising source may help to lay this skepticism to rest. A study from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland looking at climate data over the past century has concluded that solar variation has made a significant impact on the Earth's climate. The report concludes that evidence for climate changes based on solar radiation can be traced back as far as the Industrial Revolution."-------------

“The only thing growing faster than the federal government’s deficit is Chris Matthews’ man-crush on Barack Obama,” he said."-----------It appears that Pawlenty is setting up a run for the presidency against The One in 2012. We will see if he has the chops for that gig. But the New Agers say the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world then, so I don't know what to believe. Perhaps preparing a cave dwelling would be the wisest course of action.

Larger Populations Triggered Stone Age Learning : NPR: "Anthropologists have come up with a theory about what kicked off a series of 'creative explosions' in human ingenuity during the Stone Age — from about 90,000 to 45,000 years ago — and it doesn't involve some sudden improvement in brain power.

Instead, the flowering of intelligence that brought sophisticated tools, better weapons and art came about because of population density: More people started living in bigger communities."--------------Smarts come from large numbers of people living together? Could have fooled me. But I guess my community is to small to sustain intelligent life.

Tata's Nano Home: Company behind world's cheapest car to sell $7,800 apartments - BusinessWeek: "Tata, the Indian company that made worldwide headlines with its $2,000 Nano car, now plans to build 1,000 tiny apartments outside Mumbai that will sell for $7,800 to $13,400 each. The company plans to roll out low-cost projects outside other major cities."----------Thanks to Mystery Reader for updating the story (see below) about the world's cheapest car, the Nano. The maker of the Nano is planning to bring it to the US. And now the plot thickens. They also plan to build eensy weensy apartments. Obvious question: how long before they decide to build those micro-apartments here in the US? And of course one would expect them to be...condominiums.

Road So Bad It Deployed Driver's Airbag - News Story - WFTV Orlando: "The sandy stretch through west Canaveral Groves is riddled with so many grooves and ruts, drivers find themselves fish-tailing down the road. People have been complaining about it for years, but recently they're demands for a fix have been growing louder. 'Now, not soon, now. We need to get the county to help us and do it,' Canaveral Groves resident Monte Wimberley said. It is a dirt road, so no one is expecting it to be smooth sailing, but the road is extremely rough. In some places, it's hard to control the steering wheel and residents say it's costing them thousands in auto repairs...The homeowner's association has obtained an attorney. They say they are trying, on their own, to find money for the work, but they want assurances from the county the money will be spent on the road and not somewhere else."--------------------Dirt roads, in 2009? This is happening in Florida, not Khazakhstan.

If rising home loan rates price more buyers out of the market, sellers will have to respond by cutting asking prices. Anyone have a better idea?"---------------Two weeks ago a house in my neighborhood finally sold after being on the market for months. It is on a lake that is full of fish, including muskies four feet long. The house has its own dock. There is another lake across the street. Selling price: $240,000. A year ago, you couldn't buy any house on that lake for less than $350,000.

Daily Herald | One person's planter is another one's potty: "Tina Asmus said the village of Lakemoor and some neighbors on Highland Drive are pushing her to remove the front yard 'art piece planters' she created using a couple of old toilets and a pedestal sink."-----------------You hear people say that we need HOAs because without them neighbors could do anything they want with their property. That is not the case, as illustrated by this situation. Submitted for your consideration: Tina Asmus puts two toilets in her front yard, plants flowers in them, paints a smiley face, and calls it art. The Village of Lakemoor, IL, says, get rid of that junk in your yard or we fill fine you up to $500.

By the way, the "God Bless My Neighbors" sign came along with the publicity. According to my newspaper this AM, it originally said, "Beware of Neighbors."

Jefferson County, which includes Birmingham, released a plan to cut $52 million from its budget as it appeals the ruling against its business and occupational taxes to the Alabama Supreme Court. Without that revenue, the county has said it is at risk of running out of money as soon as this month.

The loss of the tax money was another blow to a county that has been struggling to avoid bankruptcy since last year, when Wall Street’s financial crisis caused its interest bills to soar on more than $3 billion of bonds."------------It looks as though the poster child for the fiscal crisis of local governments will be Jefferson county, Alabama. This has been looming for some time.

Council members voted 4-0 Wednesday to apply for a portion of the $48 million in neighborhood stabilization funds made available by the Bush administration and offered through Riverside County."--------This works to the benefit of the other condo unit owners. I realize that could be said of fixing up any house in any neighborhood, but with a condo we are talking about improving a collectively owned property. The only individual interest is an airspace.

CQ Politics | Legal Beat - Sotomayor Repeatedly Referenced 'Wise Woman' in Speeches: "Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor delivered multiple speeches between 1994 and 2003 in which she suggested 'a wise Latina woman' or 'wise woman' judge might 'reach a better conclusion' than a male judge."----------This is turning into an issue. Obama and his people dismissed the initial report of her saying this one time as a bad choice of words. But obviously that won't fly now, if as reported she has been saying it over and over for years. So that means she will have to defend these statements in her confirmation hearing. I doubt that it will derail her appointment, but it does lay the issue out for all to discuss: what if a white man had said that a "wise white man" or "wise man" would reach a better conclusion than a woman?

In December, Kent Arndt – a stay-at-home father of three and former Hidden Valley Lake Association (HVLA) employee – submitted a complaint to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), alleging discrimination under the federal Fair Housing Act."

State Revenues Buffeted by Downturn - NYTimes.com: "The carnage in state budgets is getting worse, a report said Thursday, with places like Arizona being hurt by falling revenue on multiple fronts, like personal income and sales taxes."----------------It seems that on the whole state officials were too optimistic about the national economy, so they expected more sales and income taxes than they are receiving.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Amid hard times, an influx in real superheroes - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- Mr. Ravenblade, Mr. Xtreme, Dark Guardian and hundreds of others. Some with elaborate costumes, others with haphazardly stitched outfits, they are appearing on city streets worldwide watching over the populace like Superman watched over Metropolis and Batman over Gotham City."-----------This is the simplest form of private policing. Maybe some HOAs and condo buildings can save a few bucks by going this route and acquiring a superhero.

Tata hopes to sell Nano, 'world's cheapest car,' in US for $2300: "NEW YORK (Reuters) -- India's Tata Motors hopes to offer the Nano, dubbed the world's cheapest car, in the United States within two years, its chairman said."-------------------The downsizing of the American dream continues. From suburban ranch homes with big lawns to townhomes and condos, and now from the SUV to the motorized roller skate.

The White House - Press Office - Remarks by the President at Cairo University, 6-04-09: "Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and it does not succeed. For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America's founding."---------------On the whole I thought President Obama's speech in Cairo was very good. But what he said about violence and resistance was quite a reinterpretation of US history. For example, there was that little matter of the Civil War, in which the death total was between 600,000 and 700,000. If not for the Civil War, slavery would have lasted in the South until slave rebellions ended it. And anybody who thinks the goals of the civil rights movement were not advanced by urban riots and by the militancy of Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, and others profoundly misreads the history of the 1960s.

Moving beyond civil rights, how could anybody claim that resistance through violence doesn't succeed? What about the American revolution, or the Irish war for independence, or any number of other revolutions that led to the establishment of existing nations?

President Obama knows all this. He was addressing himself to the Palestinian intifada. If he had said that slaughtering innocent civilians by strapping bombs to children is wrong and does not succeed, I could understand it. If he had said that the Palestinians can't be a nation until they stop acting like this, even better. But he didn't want to criticize the Palestinians for their particularly senseless and depraved approach to "resistance" against Israel, so he just avoided making that distinction.

Man not guilty by insanity in attacks on TV anchor, others :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime: "Assistant State’s Attorney Clarissa Palermo argued that Perdue knew exactly what he was doing when he hit the victims, including senior citizens, as he snaked through the sidewalks. As evidence, Palermo pointed to the fact that Perdue was sane enough to graduate from the University of Illinois in Chicago several years ago."-------------No wonder he was found not guilty. Graduating from UIC doesn't mean you are sane--take it from me.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Vallejo causing big fight in state - The Reporter: "What started as a municipal bankruptcy in the city of Vallejo has morphed into an all-out fight between California's local governments and unions over the sanctity of labor contracts vs. the autonomy of cities and counties. Next battle zone: the floor of the state Assembly, where legislation requiring local governments to get state approval to file for bankruptcy protection is headed for a vote later this week... If the bill becomes law, California will join 16 other states that face some level of bankruptcy filing oversight. Another 22 states don't allow localities to file for bankruptcy protection, Wills said."---------------I haven't seen any head counts on this, but I am guessing that it will pass, because of the enormous power of California's public employee unions with the Democrat-dominated and very liberal legislature. If it passes, will some cities proceed with their disincorporation strategy, or is that an idle threat?

Preserving Freedom of Expression or Property Rights? For GOP, It Depends: "When it comes to putting up a flag, Republican legislators are gung-ho about putting property rights on the back burner and supporting the right of residents to do what they wish. When it comes to putting up a clothesline, Republican legislators suddenly are very much interested in property rights and rather uninterested in the right of residents to do what they wish. That’s interesting."----------Post from a State of Maine blogger that highlights the GOP's apparent ambivalence over who to side with in HOA disputes.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

U.S. Releases Secret List of Nuclear Sites Accidentally - NYTimes.com: "The federal government mistakenly made public a 266-page report, its pages marked “highly confidential,” that gives detailed information about hundreds of the nation’s civilian nuclear sites and programs, including maps showing the precise locations of stockpiles of fuel for nuclear weapons."------------But things are going well on the nationalization front. Today GM, tomorrow the Chicago Cubs.

Queen Creek HOA says no to gay pride flag: "Zeniff Vanderran said the Cambria Ocotillo Homeowners Association crossed the line when they told him to remove a gay pride flag hanging from his home outside his garage."---------------But isn't this flag consistent with the name of the community?

Miami-Dade Prosecutor Punches Pizza Delivery Lady | NBC Miami: "According to police reports, Ranck and the unidentified woman got into a shouting match when the delivery person couldn't get into the attorney's gated community. After a bit of shouting that woke the neighbors, the woman told Ranck to come downstairs if he wanted his pizza.

Ranck did and punched the woman in the arm, Miami-Dade police said. He also knocked off her snazzy pizza delivery visor."--------------Cold pizza: the price of residential security.

GM latest in string of US company takeovers - Yahoo! Finance: "WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. assumption of a controlling interest in General Motors Corp. isn't the first time the government has nationalized a company or an industry. It has taken shares in banks, railways, steel mills, coal mines and foreclosed homes."-----------Good historical perspective on this. Most of these nationalizations were temporary and during wartime.

The gated residential community is built around a runway, but homeowners there say development has stalled because of restrictions on helicopter and jet aircraft flights from the field. And while the foreclosure rate in the town of Queen Creek is just 2.4 percent, the rate in the subdivision is 11 percent, according to recent analysis.

Residents say the principal reason for the problem is a local ordinance prohibiting helicopters, very light jets, and jet fuel at the community, according to a report in the East Valley Tribune. Developers say those restrictions cause potential buyers to look at other aviation communities where they can actually use their aircraft. Since the airport is privately owned, the city council has broader latitude to regulate operations at the facility."--------------There's an issue you don't encounter every day. It shows how hard it can be for private and public regulations to co-exist. It looks like Pegasus might turn into Icarus.

Next battle zone: the floor of the state Assembly, where legislation requiring local governments to get state approval to file for bankruptcy protection is headed for a vote later this week."-----------Unions: pay usCities: we can't--we are going bankruptUnions: no, you aren'tCities: OK--we will cease to exist (see below)

Now some California municipalities are thinking the once un-thinkable, disincorporation.Upon disincorporation, a city or town's powers as a municipality are surrendered to the state and county. The city or town ceases to have further duties and all of the city or town offices cease to exist.

This process could allow residents to avoid paying local taxes, escape the costs of local services and pensions, and get other services more cheaply by sharing the costs with the surrounding county."-------------There hasn't been a disincorporation in California since 1972, according to the article.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Ten Vehicles That Bankrupted GM: "Reasons abound for GM's bankruptcy, including legacy costs, fuel prices and the conventional wisdom of East Coast media elite, but we mustn't forget in the end it's all about the cars. And frankly, some of them really sucked."--------------Strange concepts, ugly body designs, and bad luck seem to have conspired against GM. But I think their biggest problem is that there were always too many GM cars. How do you focus people on any model or make when you have multiple makes and zillions of models?

The City Council’s Finance Committee agreed to mandate at least 15 days of legislative review before the sale of any city assets valued at over $100 million.

A companion disclosure ordinance would require the city to post the lease on the internet prior to a Council vote to sell off another major asset and post quarterly reports detailing how funds generated by the sale are being spent."-------------Fifteen days for over $100 million? Does that seem like legislative self-assertion?

Robert J. Samuelson - The Media's Infatuation With President Obama - washingtonpost.com: "Obama has inspired a collective fawning. What started in the campaign (the chief victim was Hillary Clinton, not John McCain) has continued, as a study by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism shows. It concludes: 'President Barack Obama has enjoyed substantially more positive media coverage than either Bill Clinton or George W. Bush during their first months in the White House.'"-----------------Talk about understatement.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Business Feed Article | Business | guardian.co.uk: "NEW YORK, May 29 (Reuters) - It's not just California that threatens to sabotage the Obama stimulus. State and local governments across the nation are gradually unraveling federal efforts to revive growth."--------------Indeed. State and local governments are undoing the federal stimulus package by raising taxes. Here in Illinois the legislature is poised to increase the state income tax by 50%, and they are jacking up taxes on many products and services as well.

So how did we get from there to here? Here, according to media accounts this week, is an imminent transformation of General Motors into a government-owned company, infused with upward of $50 billion in federal money. The United States will accept stock in lieu of the cash the company owes, and Washington -- that is, you, the taxpayer -- will become the owner of 70 percent of the new GM. When might the company stand on its own, to paraphrase Mr. Obama?"---------------------The Post points out how little relationship there is between Obama's words and his deeds in this case, and then concisely explains why nationalization of General Motors is a bad idea. If the company continues to be unattractive to private investors, which seems likely, then what? Does the federal government decide to get out? If so, when, and how? It seems to me that everybody concerned would have been better off if the company had been left to its fate in the market, whatever that was. Obama has been doing what the UAW wanted, because GM was its biggest power base. But sooner or later, unless a miracle happens, the UAW-governed employees will need to find other jobs anyway--unless GM is going to remain a government-owned car company in perpetuity.

The larger issue is that Obama is astonishingly consistent in one important respect: he says one thing, and then does another, again and again and again. He claims that something is unacceptable, and then turns right around and does it.

U. of I. admissions: How politicians pressured university to admit students -- chicagotribune.com: "The Tribune on Friday reported evidence that subpar applicants gained admission to the U. of I. with the sway of state lawmakers and university trustees. The investigation revealed that acceptance decisions at times occurred over the objections of admissions officers in deference to power brokers."------------This story documents a disgraceful practice at the University of Illinois. Slimeball Illinois legislators make thinly veiled threats to the U of I lobbyists, who then send emails to high-level officials at the University, who then cave in and admit the unqualified sons and daughters of the Chicago machine. Then young people who have worked hard and deserve admission are turned away, because their place is taken by some arrogant punk whose daddy has clout.

As a professor at the U of Illinois at Chicago, I hear a lot of high-minded talk from administrators, who impose all sorts of ethics requirements on us. But the higher you go, the more these people think they can do whatever is expedient.

About Me

I am a professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an adjunct professor at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Nothing contained in this blog represents the opinions of UIC or John Marshall, and nothing you see here is legal advice. You can reach me at ecmlaw@gmail.com